Open AccessA case of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy in which a disease‐specific question led to the diagnosis
Author(s) -
Maita Hiroki,
Kobayashi Tadashi,
Akimoto Takashi,
Osawa Hiroshi,
Kato Hiroyuki
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of general and family medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2189-7948
DOI - 10.1002/jgf2.496
Subject(s) - medicine , myoclonic jerk , myoclonus , epilepsy , juvenile myoclonic epilepsy , confusion , pediatrics , tongue , consciousness , audiology , anesthesia , psychiatry , neuroscience , psychology , pathology , psychoanalysis
A 17‐year‐old female patient presented to our hospital with repeated transient loss of consciousness lasting less than 10 min. After regaining consciousness, she experienced no disorientation, confusion, tongue‐biting, or incontinence. Physical findings, blood tests, electrocardiogram, and echocardiogram showed no obvious abnormalities. On being asked whether she had experienced sudden rapid body movements, she answered “yes.” Therefore, we suspected juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and obtained an electroencephalogram, which showed diffuse bilateral bursts of spike‐and‐wave complexes, confirming the diagnosis. In adolescent patients with transient loss of consciousness, myoclonic jerks should be actively confirmed for the diagnosis of JME.